Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 105)
Daily Devotions
Psalm 89:1-4 “I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.” vs 2 Tradition ascribes this psalm to Ethan the Ezrahite, and calls it a maskil, a didactic poem, one that is used as a teaching tool. Ethan’s intention is clear, he wants all of Israel to know that God is faithful and that David was God’s chosen one, the founder of a dynasty that would last forever. For centuries Ethan’s…
Daily Devotions
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 “Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3 King David, having defeated his enemies, has settled down in Jerusalem in a fine house. In thanksgiving he decides to build an even bigger house for the Lord and the palace prophet Nathan told him to do whatever he wanted. Later Nathan has a change of heart and tells his king the Lord really doesn’t…
Daily Devotions
John 1:19-28 “John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’” vss. 26-27 John was a person of some notoriety. King Herod knew who he was; the religious leaders in Jerusalem were aware of his ministry; he was attracting thousands of followers from all over Judea. Rumors about his identity were spreading even without social…
Daily Devotions
John 1:6-8 “He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” vs. 7 On the surface John’s mission seems strange! He was sent to testify to the light…but why would light need anyone to testify to it? Shouldn’t everyone just be able to see it and know that it was light? Light is self-evident–when it’s present everyone knows it, or so it would seem! But the Gospel is giving us a deeper…
Daily Devotions
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” vss. 16-18 Some of us wonder about the will of God in our lives, just what it is that God wants us to do or be, and in those moments our minds go wild with various possibilities. Perhaps we should change jobs or careers, or volunteer for a mission service project, something more in line…
Daily Devotions
1 Thessalonians 5:6-15 “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” vs. 11 As we move through these shortening days of December, in reality time seems to be stretching out. We’re tired of travel restrictions and bothered by the continued spread of the virus in our country. So many have been worn down by the isolation and daily conflicting reports about vaccines and quarantine. And since we can’t seem to get words of encouragement…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 126 “Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6 It’s hard to know sometimes just what it is that triggers the growth of the spiritual fruits that have been sown in our hearts by our Creator. The psalmist has a suggestion that may bear some consideration. He links weeping to the whole cycle of planting and harvesting, and the connection is intriguing. We learn from…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 61:8-11 “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” vs. 11 For years believers have confessed in worship, “We are by nature sinful and unclean,” not realizing what an affront that statement is to our Creator. Do we really believe that the Lord of the Universe created us to be…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 61:1-4 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1 At times there seems to be confusion about the mission of the Church and what it is that followers of Jesus are called to be about in our world. We tend to overthink our doctrinal…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1: 5-8 “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8 Both Jesus and John were significant figures in Roman occupied Judea. Both had a powerful message and each of them gathered a sizable following of disciples. But they were different too, and Mark accents that difference in his account of Jesus’ life. John’s baptism was for his followers a sign of repentance, a declaration that they were changing their lives…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1:1-4 “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” vs 4 The people were ready for John when he appeared in the wilderness with his radical message. They were tired of the Roman occupation, fed up with the corruption of the religious leaders, sick of hopeless living, and ready for a fresh start. So they flocked to him by the Jordan, listened to his transforming challenges, and waded into the…
Daily Devotions
2 Peter 3:8-15a “But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” vs. 13 Early believers were confident that God wasn’t done with this world after the death and resurrection of Jesus. They believed that there would be a total overhaul, a new creation, and that God’s righteousness would reign. It’s not that this world is so bad! After all the fingerprints of God are all over it, and…